Sabbath

We believe in keeping the seventh day sabbath (Exodus 20), as was perfectly kept in the New Testament by Jesus Christ Himself, who made a concerted effort to tear down the legalistic rules of the Pharisees regarding His Special Day, and instead focused on the "rest principle" of resting one's heart in God, and engaging oneself in God's work as opposed to engaging oneself in one's own work and personal pleasures. Although we feel that the Old-testament CEREMONIAL LAW is not required for us to keep today, nevertheless God's MORAL LAW is still to be the highest standard whereby which we live our lives, even in this day and age. We believe in keeping all ten of the commandments - including the 4th one. The fourth commandment was established and sanctified from creation, just as the marriage institution was also established. It was not established as a result of sin entering the world (as was the establishing of offering sacrifices, keeping other holy days and sabbaths, etc.), and thus cannot accurately be labeled "ceremonial law" anymore than the establishing of marriage between a man and woman can be labeled "ceremonial law". The one special day that God has sanctified, does He not expect us to also regard as being holy, just as He reuires us to regard the initial marriage institution as still being a holy institution, no to be desecrated by man (i.e. Thou shalt not commit adultery.), and just as He required Moses to honor the holy ground on which he was standing, by removing his sandals? (Exodus 3) (i.e. What God regards as being Holy, will He not also require us to regard as being holy?...as he required it of Moses?) For this reason we believe in worshipping, resting from our own works, and diligently engaging ourselves in spiritual works on the seventh day of the week (Saturday), as commanded in Scripture, as a memorial to God's creating the world in six days and His resting on the seventh day (in order to set an example for us to follow). Such a day of spiritual rest is necessary for our spiritual and physical well-being, and is a testimony to the world (in opposition to the evolutionist atheists) that God is Creator, and that we are His created beings who automatically owe Him worshipful and restful gratitude as such. (For those of you who are extra curious: After doing extensive historical research on this subject, we have discovered that a large portion of the early church believers continued to keep the seventh day sabbath long after Christ's resurrection, and, in fact, there seems to be no EARLY church support for the idea that, due to Christ's resurrection, we are now to observe the fourth commandment by keeping the sabbath on the first day of the week (as opposed to on the seventh day). It is true that a portion of the early church believers began to honor the first day of the week as a new memorial to the resurrection of Christ. However, for a long time they ALSO continued to observe the SEVENTH day, specifically in light of the FOURTH COMMANDMENT. Eventually certain groups ceased keeping the fourth commandment on the seventh day, but other groups never discontinued the true practice. If you do a very extensive research, you will find this does, indeed, seem to be the case.)

As an "inserted paragraph" regarding the keeping of the moral law of God: We believe that the moral law of God was/is given to us as a "schoolmaster" to lead us to faith in Christ (Gal 3: 21-16). We are condemned by the law because we, as sinners, are incapable of keeping it AT ALL in a perfect state of heart. (Even"...the plowing of the wicked, is sin." - Prov. 21:4) Until we have come to faith in Christ, we remain in "bondage" to the law, as it pins us down in condemnation. When, at last, we are freed by the Holy Spirit to lay hold of the righteousness of Christ, by faith, the law of God no longer condemns us. God "writes" His law upon our hearts ( 2 Cor. 3:1-4) by giving us a truly spiritual understanding, desire, and ability to keep His commandments in perfectness of heart. We are "released" to truly love God and our neighbor. We are "released" to truly love, and not covet. We are "released' to truly love, and not murder in our hearts. We are "released' to truly love and honour our parents with the love of Christ. We are "released" to truly rest in God and worship Him on His Holy Sabbath day. To sum it u, truly keeping the law of God is a heart issue, thus the reason why the 10 commandments (of love toward God and our neighbor) must be "written on ou hearts". So is the moral law of God abolished for the Christian? Surely not, but rather, the condemnatin of the law is abolished, and we are finally freed in Christ to truly obey His commandments from the heart.